Gospel Rivalry

I pressed the crosswalk button as I looked across the street to the coffee shop I meet Phoebe every Saturday morning. I could feel my phone buzzing in my purse, but I know who the text messages are from—a group chat of people in the church. I decided to ignore them as I know what it's already about.

I walked into the coffee shop and saw Phoebe sitting at our usual meeting spot, staring intensely at her phone. “Are they still debating the ‘theology of the stage’?” I asked as I sat down across from her. “I’m really getting tired of all this nonsense. Half the congregation is ready to paste ‘I am of Paul’ all over them while the other is about to do the same with Apollos,” she sighed, setting her phone face down.

Divided by Preaching Styles

“Half of them follow Paul because they enjoy his grit, how he dives deeply into the Law. He's authentic, blunt; they say it ‘feeds their soul’. While the other half follow Apollos; they think Paul is too dry. Apollos, to them, is like a fire. They enjoy his blockbuster attitude about preaching; it's like a performance to them.”

I glanced out the window at the city we call home, Corinth, the city that never sleeps. It seems the church community doesn’t either. The energy of the church no longer feels like a spiritual place; it's become more of a companion trial. “This is turning into a war,” I glanced at her, then back out the window, focusing on the street that leads to the church.

The Heart of the Controversy

“I saw someone post today, and it mentioned how they wouldn't be able to connect with a preacher unless they brought the same cadence Apollos brought to his sermons, as if God cares about the dramatic pauses in between sentences or the ‘aesthetic’ that is brought to the pulpit.” This is the heart of the controversy; it makes me nauseous. When the church starts to become divided and chooses sides based on “style,” it seems like they are treating the Gospel like its —---------idk what to put here lol-------------------------------, but deep down I know preachers are not supposed to be a painting you admire; they are meant to be a doorway to learning about Christ.

Perspective on Preaching

If you're too focused on the colors and brushstrokes of the painting, you are missing the entire view of God that's on the other side of the threshold. “The ironic thing is, Paul and Apollos aren't even competing with each other,” I remind her, my voice growing firm. “It's as if they are planting a garden; Paul is planting seeds while Apollos follows behind him with a watering can. The church is acting as if they are rivals, trying to corner their competition. They’ve all forgotten the job of the preacher is to teach their disciples about Christ, not build a fan base.”

When you start to put the messenger on a pedestal, you lose sight of the message. The church is starting to seek entertainment through the preacher and the influence they bring over Christ. They are arguing over who has the better “brand” while the Bible is being used as a mere prop for the performance.

Choosing the Author

“I think the next time someone asks me if ‘I am of Paul’ or if ‘I am of Apollos,’ I'm going to tell them that I'm a fan of the Author. While the narrators are okay, I’m only here for the Creator,” Phoebe said as she got up to walk to the counter.

I smiled, following behind her. “Good luck with that. As much as the community enjoys a good rivalry, I think if we stop following their lead of clapping for the performance, they'll begin to listen to the Truth.”